The rapid growth of Internet traffic has created an increasing need for more responsive inter-networking components. One component approaching its operative limits is the IP router. IP routers route packets of data traffic between destinations in an inter-network.
Presently, IP routers are electronic switch based devices. To date, electronic switch based IP routers having 16 input and 16 output channels are commercially available. Extending the number of input and output channels, however, has raised substantial challenges due to the space management issues, power and heat dissipation, as well as electromagnetic interference. It is believed that given their limited number of input and output channels, electronic switch based IP routers may very shortly reach their capacity to route inter-network traffic. As a result, optically based components, including IP routers, are being explored by industry. It is estimated that optical IP routers may soon be realized having 128 input and 128 output channels, and thus, greater overall throughput.
In view of the above, a demand exists for an optical IP router offering an increased number of input and output channels, and greater overall throughput.